The Promised Future
by Black Snowdrop
Summary: The night before Promised Day sets in motion feelings and complications that Edward and Winry could never have imagined. Complications lead to arguments and downward spirals. Can Edward and Winry make sense of it all before they lose each other? Edwin
1. A Fateful Night

**A promised future**

_Chapter One_

** Set during episode 47 of Brotherhood**

Warning: Mature scenes ahead

"I want you to take Granny and Den, leave the country for a while," Edward suddenly announced as he stared at his automail hand, lost in thought about the Promised Day and what it would mean for Amestris. Not to mention how he was supposed to stop it from happening.

If he'd looked up, he would have seen Winry's thunderous expression at the suggestion. As it was, he didn't realise the impact of his statement until the wench hit him, sending him flying to the floor. Just as he was picking himself up, he found himself face to face with Winry's temper.

"I'm not running away! You can't just send us off like that!" Winry yelled in anger that practically radiated from across the room where she stood. "I know you want to protect us but you need to try and save everyone!"

"I'm gonna do everything I can to stop it but there's a chance it might not work!" Edward practically screamed back at her, getting to his feet, just as riled as Winry was.

"I don't want to hear any doubts from you!" Winry said desperately. "Please Ed… You can't let them go through with this. Just tell me you're going to stop them and save the country. I wanna hear you say you're going to protect the country and then get your bodies back. Do whatever it takes to make that happen."

Edward stood there shocked into silence. This was the first time he'd really heard Winry encouraging him to risk his life and do what he could for others. Usually he was being reminded by her to come home and stay safe. Edward looked into Winry's widened blue eyes and realised for the first time that Winry was scared. She was scared and trying to hide that by being supportive. He didn't know what to say to that.

"You make it sound so easy…" Edward said.

"This isn't the time to be doubting yourself…" Winry said and to Edward's surprise, tears began to roll down her face. "I hate… I hate standing on the sidelines not being able to do anything… I want to help but I know I can't…" Winry said as the tears poured down her face. "I hate feeling so useless and… like I can't help…"

Edward watched her in disbelief before tentatively moving forward and gently taking her elbows. He moved closer, looking down at Winry. For so long he'd been looking forward to looking down at her instead of up but not like this. Not to see her crying. He'd broken his promise to not make her cry.

Winry looked up at him blearily. "I'm sorry Ed… I didn't mean to make you break your promise… I said I wouldn't cry…" She was taken aback when Edward pulled her into a full hug. She blinked in shock before closing her eyes and crying into his shoulder. "I'm sorry…"

Edward stayed still, just holding her. "Winry… you're not useless. You're the one who gave me an arm and a leg to stand on. You give me and Al another reason to keep fighting, to come home to you. You and Granny carry us, Winry. You're not useless." Edward repeated quietly. "I promise."

Winry let out a sad laugh. "We all know what your promises mean, Ed," she joked weakly and looked up at him only to freeze in surprise. When she looked into Ed's eyes, all she saw was a fire that hadn't been there before. "Ed…" she whispered.

"Winry, I swear that you are more important than you think," Edward told her quietly. Without thinking, he leant in and kissed her. Winry gasped at the feel of their lips together. Her hands gripped his upper arms as she steadied herself. Slowly she kissed him back, uncertain what to do but knowing the kiss felt nice. They stood there for several minutes, locked in a fierce embrace. Before long the need for air arose and Edward pulled back, breathing heavily. Every instinct in his body told him to kiss her again, to hold her and not let her go. The rational part of him told him to leave the room, go back to the others and formulate a plan for tomorrow. But the larger part of him reminded him that there was a good chance he could die tomorrow. If he did…. He'd never get this chance again.

Winry looked up at him a little confused. "Ed…"

Her words were cut off by his lips on hers again and she kissed him back fiercely as their second kiss intensified. She moved her hands to his shoulders and pulled him closer. Once again the need for air arose but this time Edward planted soft gentle kisses on her lips between breathing. "Winry…" he whispered repeatedly between kisses. His hands gently slid down her sides and hovered at the edges of her top. At the same time her own hands found the edges of his shirt and for a moment the pair froze, staring at each other, blushes crossing their faces.

Winry took a breath and pulled back from Edward, taking her own top in her hands and pulling upwards until it was over her head before dropping it on the floor. She felt a rush of embarrassment and itched to cover herself up but at the same time, baring her chest to Edward like this was exhilarating. Besides this was the true test. How would he react?

Edward was staring at her and not just because it was the first time he'd seen a girl bare chested, never mind Winry but the fact that it was Winry being so bold and just how beautiful she was. Her blue eyes were watching him nervously and yet she hadn't tried to cover herself up. She was comfortable around him to be so bold. It sent a shiver down his spine. He reached down and pulled his own shirt over his head before reaching out and pulling Winry into another searing kiss.

"Beautiful…" he murmured. "Beautiful and bold… you didn't even try and cover yourself up…" he murmured between kisses. He felt Winry smile through the kiss.

"I'm with you aren't I? You know, we practically grew up together, there was probably a time when the three of us were running around naked together at some point when we were toddlers or something." She smirked a little as she said this.

"Maybe but this is different," Ed smiled as he kissed her again.

Winry nodded in agreement. "Yes, this is different…" she returned his kisses with fervour and reached down for his belt. Her hand moved across the State Alchemist watch and she looked down at it reminding herself of the promise that Ed made. She noticed Ed look down at it himself. "Forget about it, Ed," she whispered. "Forget about it for one night… just this moment…" she said.

Edward removed the watch and tossed it onto the floor before pulling Winry tightly against him, passionately. She groaned a little as his kiss became rougher, more intense. He wrapped his arms around her, clapped his hands and put one hand to the door. Winry heard a crackle of alchemy and pulled back. "What did you do?" she asked.

"Sound proofed the room and locked the door," Edward smiled at her. The pair of them breathed heavily, staring at each other and preparing themselves for the next step. Slowly they pressed against each other and resumed kissing. Ed's fingers lightly stroked Winry's back and she shivered at the feeling of the automail against her skin.

Edward pulled back a bit. "I'm sorry… it's too cold…"

"No," Winry said pulling Edward back. "I like it…"

Edward chuckled a little bit. "Automail Geek"

"Alchemy Freak" Winry retorted as she kissed him.

They slowly made their way over to the bed and Winry sat down backwards on the bed, pulling Edward with her until she was lying down and he was crawling on top of her. She gently reached down and began to unbuckle his pants. Ed shifted out of them until he was just in his boxers. He gently tugged Winry's pants down awkwardly and she lifted her hips until she was left in just her underwear. She looked up at Edward and was relieved to see he was blushing as much as she was.

"Winry… are you sure?" Edward asked quietly.

"Are you?" Winry looked worried.

Edward smiled. "I am…"

Winry nodded too. "So am I…"

He leant down to kiss her tenderly and gently stroked her sides before cupping the back of her neck in his automail hand whilst his other gently removed her underwear. He looked down at her, even more red faced. He gently stroked her hair with his free hand after he tossed her underwear aside. He kissed her again softly as Winry reached down and pushed his boxers off him and away. He helped her and soon they were lying completely bare to the other.

Winry smiled and stroked Ed's face gently before pulling his body to lie on top of hers. They both gasped at the contact but Winry hugged him closer, closing his eyes.

"You're always so far away….I can never have you close for very long… I know that's selfish," Winry admitted and looked away, only to feel Edward tilt her chin to look back at him.

"It's not selfish," he told her and kissed her again.

She returned the kiss lovingly and gently brushed her legs against his thighs. His kiss intensified and he began to trail kisses down her shoulder. Her skin felt like it was on fire every time he kissed it. Edward pulled back a little and spread her legs, moving to lie between them. He cupped Winry's face in his hands and kissed her slowly. She hummed in approval as they kissed and rested her hands on his shoulders. They were both nervous, they could tell from the tense way their bodies hardened. The full realisation of what they were about to do began to hit them but Winry merely smiled at Edward and he smiled back at her, not caring whether it mattered that they were doing this or not. They wanted to do it and they had one last night together.

Edward moved forwards gently sliding into Winry, leaning on his elbows, one either side of Winry's head and the pair of them gasped at the unusual sensation of being connected. Winry felt slight discomfort at first but as Edward began to enter her more and more, she felt pain replace the discomfort and her face tensed up, her eyes closing, causing Edward to stop what he was doing. When she felt him stop, she looked up confused.

"Ed?"

"I'm hurting you." It was a statement but Winry could see the guilt in his eyes and she reached out for him, remembering how easily Edward took on the burden of guilt or pain.

"It's… it's normal… so I've heard… don't stop," Winry whispered. "Just hold me…"

Edward wrapped his arms around Winry and sheathed himself fully inside her, wanting to get the pain out of the way. He winced as Winry let out a small cry of pain. He kissed her shoulder repeatedly and stroked her hair. He felt Winry cling to his back for several minutes before he felt her relax. "Are you okay?" he asked her.

Winry nodded. "I-I'm fine," she said. "Please… it no longer hurts…. Please…" she whispered. Edward nodded and leaned over her again. They both gasped as he drew out and thrust inside her again. He began to move at a slow pace.

Pleasure began to fill Winry's mind and senses, a greater pleasure than she'd ever known. Her nerves felt as though something was tingling within them creating a wonderful sensation within her. She could feel a ball of pleasure building up in her stomach. She let out small moans as the pleasure building up within her began to creep through her body.

Edward was engulfed by warmth and an amazing sensation of being inside Winry. He continued to move inside her and leant down to capture her mouth in searing kisses as he moved.

Winry matched his kisses with equal passion and she rocked her hips against him. "Faster… " she murmured and was rewarded when Edward quickened his pace. She smiled up at him and he smiled down at her before they resumed kissing. They broke away to breathe and pant as they began to climb to their climax. Winry felt a heat bubble up in her lower stomach and Edward could tell that he was close to finishing. A light sheen of sweat covered their bodies and they had to pant harder to breathe amidst their lovemaking.

Edward buried his face in Winry's shoulder. "So close… can't… hold on…" he murmured.

Winry moaned in his ear. "I'm nearly there too… please Ed… finish me…"

Edward began to thrust harder and faster than ever, trying to get them both to reach their climax. Finally a white light exploded behind his eyes and all Winry could see was bright shimmering lights as they hit their peak. Pleasure exploded within them and she screamed as her body shuddered. Edward growled as his body shook within Winry. A few minutes passed before their bodies managed to calm down and Edward pulled out of Winry, rolling next to her and gathering her in his arms. They lay there for about ten minutes recovering before either of them spoke.

She lay sleepily on his chest and kissed his shoulder gently. She sighed. "We can rest before tomorrow comes…. Tonight… was amazing," she said.

"You can rest," said Edward. "But I need to shower and set off for Central. There's a train in about two hours that can get us there tonight."

Winry sat up with a frown. "You're leaving already?"

Edward sat up, gently stroking her back. "It's like you said. I need to go and save this country. I need to get to Central as soon as possible to win this and get our bodies back," he said climbing out of bed and heading into Winry's bathroom.

Winry sat there incredulously. "But…"

Edward laughed. "But what, Winry? Those were your words. It won't be easy but you wanted me to save this country. And at the very least, if I can't…. at least, well, we were able to see each other one last time," he said smiling sheepishly before closing the door.

Winry was unable to respond as the shower came on. She sat in bed, pulling the covers up and wrapped her arms around her legs feeling conflicted. It was ten minutes before Edward re-emerged again and she looked up at him.

"You're not getting dressed?" Edward asked as he put his clothes back on.

"No… I thought you were going to stay the night and head to Central tomorrow." Winry admitted.

"No time. I need all the time I can get to stand a chance," Edward said.

An angry look appeared on Winry's face. "Will you stop doubting yourself? You're an amazing alchemist and you're fighting for the right reasons. Have more faith in yourself."

Edward laughed a little harshly. "You act like it's all an easy game to win-" he began.

"That's not what I'm saying-" Winry cut in.

"-but the truth is, this is going to be the biggest battle we're ever going to be facing-" Edward continued regardless of Winry.

"I know that but-" Winry spoke.

"No!" Edward snapped. "No… you don't know. You might service my automail and come up to see me once in a while but you don't know anything about the things Al and I have had to go through. The battles that we've had to fight were no picnic, and believe me this will be the mother of all battles. How can you possibly expect to know about any of this when you weren't even there! You're not a part of this. At best you're a hostage so you can't possibly understand!" Edward snapped, feeling his earlier tension rise. As soon as he said it, he wished that he hadn't. Winry was stock still, silent and staring into her bedsheets. Edward finished putting his boots on and walked over to her slowly. "Winry?" he reached for her but she jerked her arm away.

"Don't touch me…" she said. "You can't just… just say all that and expect to be able to just calm me down, shut me up…" she said tearfully, her voice full of anger. "No, I don't know… I don't know any of this because you shut me out!" She looked up at him angry. "You leave me behind, you keep secrets from me and then you expect me to wait for you! You…. We…. did this tonight and then… you're just leaving…. " Winry struggled to restrain her anger. "You allow me to get close when _you_ need me, when it suits _you_! But when I need you…" she added. "You couldn't care less!"

Edward looked angry. "That's not true! I was there when you found out about Scar!"

"The only reason I found out was because I overheard you… you had no intention of telling me… I was just an inconvenience that could have got you and Al killed!" Winry said tearfully. "You would have lied to me for the rest of my life if I hadn't found out," she said wiping her eyes. "You were always quick to send me home once you didn't have a use for me. And now you don't have a use for me anymore…. Or rather, any feelings you might have had about missing me, they're gone now so you can get on your way," Winry said coldly.

Edward stared at her in horror. "Do you really believe all that?"

Winry nodded. "I have for a while now…. I thought tonight… I thought I was wrong but I wasn't…" she said. "So it doesn't matter now… you have a train to catch," she said with a finality to her tone.

Edward stood there for a few moments longer before glaring and turning on his heel. He left the room, slamming the door behind him, leaving a desolate Winry in his wake.


	2. The Promised Day

**The Promised Future**

_ Chapter Two _

**This chapter will be mostly Winry's perspective during the Promised Day**

Winry was beyond angry when she finally showered, dressed and made her way downstairs. Edward and his gang had already gone so she was left with the Briggs soldiers. Plus Granny would be back soon and Winry could focus on being reacquainted with her grandmother after such a long time in Rush Valley, anything to forget about what happened with Edward tonight.

One of the best evenings of her life had quickly become one of the worst. The memory of Edward holding her as they had sex was already like a distant dream. Had it even happened?

Winry sighed and sat down next to a piece of automail and immediately started trying to fix it up. She liked messing with automail. All the gadgets and screws and pieces of metal were so much easier to deal with than real people. Everything was so simple when you were making automail.

Edward walked alongside the others as they approached the train station, images of Winry tearstained and angry, scorched into his mind. At the same time he was filled with the memory of her warm embrace as she held onto him during their union.

He hadn't felt so protected and adored since his mother had died. Edward shuddered at the comparison. That was just plain creepy. He needed to cut that chain of thought away right now.

He looked up at his companions. Tomorrow was going to be a crazy day and one that he may not survive but he could never live with himself if he didn't do anything about it. There would be plenty of time to worry about Winry later if all went well.

Morning arrived and with it, Pinako Rockbell. She and Winry enjoyed a quiet breakfast together before getting to work preparing automail orders. Winry had requested Garfiel to send her the measurements and list of materials to anyone who wanted her to continue to make automail for them. She'd also told him not to tell the Military where she was. He'd agreed and given her all the measurements and requests she'd need over the phone.

The last thing she wanted to do today was dwell on the possibility of dying or Edward for that matter. In fact she didn't want to think about Edward full stop. It was too painful, remembering their argument. Oh sure they'd thought a lot but last night things had been said that couldn't be taken back. The fact he'd chosen not to deny her accusations had left her with a lot of doubt.

As the sun rose higher in the sky, Winry began to assemble the parts she already had and began to work on the customer's orders that she could do with the parts in the house. She kept her head down and worked for several hours but it wasn't as easy as normal. Her mind was a flurry of thoughts between automail, screws and her argument with Edward. The looming Promised Day also prevented her from keeping concentration as well as she would have. It was only after the arm she'd been working on, looking more like a mangled disfigurement that she finally gave up. She got up, grabbed her jacket and headed outside, closing the door quietly behind her. She looked up at the sky and for the first time, the young mechanic had no idea what to do or where she was going. She just started to walk feeling dazed and confused as her thoughts thrashed it out inside her head.

She understood that Edward and Alphonse had needed to get their bodies back. She had supported them but in the months before they'd found out about Bradley being a homunculus, it had been safer to communicate and visit yet the brothers had been too preoccupied to think of those who were waiting for them. She wasn't angry at them for that, not really. Once they got something into their heads, they pursued it with focus, forgetting anything else around them. It wasn't their fault but at the same time Winry felt such a large amount of anger towards them. She knew it was unreasonable but she had desperately missed them.

Past memories of her being left out of their activities but she and her grandmother looking after them anyway haunted her thoughts. She felt used and like she wasn't their friend, just someone convenient. She was aware she could just be freaking out and letting her fears run wild but the Elric brothers had always done their own thing. She had always been on the outside, was it really so wrong for her to feel like this?

But it wasn't just her worrying about the past either. Despite what she might think of how they treated her, she loved them more and she was truly scared of what they were facing. Edward was right, she didn't know. But he had made it sound like she hadn't tried to find out. They had kept her in the dark and she was scared for them because she couldn't help them. She could only wait and hope that they would be okay and come home, whole again. So Winry continued walking forwards, lost in the sadness and despair that was filling her heart.

It wasn't until late morning that Edward and the others managed to navigate their way through Central and find Gracia Hughes' apartment. Whilst the others stood guard, Edward quickly explained to Gracia that he had one call to make and Gracia was the only other person in Central who would call this person thus creating a perfect opportunity for Edward to stay hidden and contact this person at the same time. Gracia had been more than happy to help out.

"Rockbell Automail," Pinako's voice filled Edward's ear as she answered the phone.

"Granny?" Edward asked quickly. "Are you and Winry okay?" he asked

"Edward, why are you calling? Is everything okay? Is someone after us?" Pinako's sharp voice replied. Edward cursed himself for worrying her and tightened his grip on the phone.

"No, no, I just wanted to make sure you and Winry were staying inside today. Don't go out," he told her seriously.

"Well I'm inside but Winry's gone out. She seemed a bit out of it to be honest but I'm sure she'll be back soon." Pinako answered. Edward's insides went cold at the news. Where was Winry? Was she okay? What if someone had gotten to her? Edward clenched his teeth in irritation. How could she be so irresponsible? She could get into real trouble.

"When you say she seemed out of it, what do you mean?" Edward asked.

"She just looked distracted. I found the automail she was working on, it looked awful, not like her at all," said Pinako. "She's probably just worried about you, Ed, don't worry so much. Do you want me to go after her?"

"No," Edward said quickly. "You stay inside and wait for her."

"You take care of yourself Edward and come home safe with Alphonse" said Pinako

Edward nodded before whispering. "Okay" he said and put the phone down.

He pulled away from the phone and turned around visibly upset.

"What's the matter Edward?" Gracia asked in concern.

Edward stared at the floor. "Winry's in danger…. I know she is…. And it's all my fault…"

Winry stared at the ruins of Elric house, not quite sure why she was here but feeling like it was safe to just cry and let it all out, she sat down and did just that. The worry, the pain and the fear all came pouring out of her. She was glad Edward was not there because he'd just say she was making a mountain out of a mole hill. She didn't think so. There was so much she had been holding in for years that it felt good to finally just let it all bubble up.

She wasn't sure how long she sat there in the end. She could sense the sky beginning to darken and as she looked up she spotted the eclipse. Damn, she thought. I was supposed to watch that with Granny… she said and started to run back the way she came. Please let me make it in time, she told herself. I've been so self centred today, I don't want to miss sharing this experience with Granny.

She tore along the road, jumping out the way of people passing and she began to see her house looming up before her. Picking up the pace, she made her way up the steps and burst into the house, causing her grandmother to look up in alarm.

"Winry! There you are!" Pinako scolded her. "Where have you been? Edward called to check we were okay. He wasn't happy when I told him you'd wandered off, you really need to be mor-" Pinako stopped when she saw Winry's shaken face. "Winry?"

Winry stepped forward quietly. "Edward was worried…?" she asked in confusion and sank onto the couch. Pinako frowned at her granddaughter's strange behaviour before coming to sit next to her.

"Winry dear, what's wrong? You've been acting rather strangely today," Pinako said surprisingly gently for someone as tough as her. She reached over and placed her hand on Winry's. "Tell me."

Winry took a few breaths. "I-it's nothing, Granny, I-I'm fine…" she lied.

"Don't you lie to me. I know when you're fine, Winry. Now tell me what's wrong? Ed says we're supposed to stay in the house. You know that the Promised Day means danger to us all. Why risk yourself like that? Your parents would want you to stay safe, child."

Winry felt a tear fall down her face. "Granny…" she said as more tears fell from her eyes. "I'm sorry…. I'm so sorry…"

Pinako raised her eyebrows. "Winry… what's wrong? Tell me what's upsetting you right now…."

Winry looked up at Pinako through tear stained eyes. "It's too… it's stupid…"

"It can't be stupid if it's upsetting you this much. You've not been yourself all day," Pinako retorted. Winry looked at the floor and Pinako frowned even more. "Winry… tell me now."

"Edward and I… we had a fight…." Winry began.

"A fight? You're always fighting!" scoffed Pinako.

"Not like this one," Winry said. "This one was horrible." She wiped at her eyes. "I don't think we've ever argued like this before."

Pinako took her hand. "Winry… everyone has nasty fights… this is probably the first one for you and Edward… so it's worse…"

"Tell me what happened," Pinako urged her granddaughter gently. "From the beginning…"

Winry took a shaky breath. "He wanted us to leave the country… I told him he couldn't send us away and that he had to have more faith. He said he was going to do his best but it might not be enough. I kept telling him he needed to be sure of himself and then…. I told him how useless I felt and he… we…. it calmed down for a bit… but then he said he had to leave quickly and he started doubting himself again. When I tried to help he told me I didn't know anything about it and I said that was because he was always shutting me out. I told him that… well he's always using me, only getting in contact when he needs something and even though he professes to miss me, it doesn't last long and in the end… maybe that's all I am to him, useful rather than a friend… I don't even know what we are now…" Winry admitted and cried quietly.

Pinako frowned. "Friendships don't just end like that Winry, especially those like the one you and Ed have." She was startled when Winry's sobs became louder.

"It's not… it's not that… simple." Winry said. "I'm not sure what our friendship would be if it could be saved…. There's something else… something happened last night."

Pinako took Winry's hand. "Carry on, tell me…"

"In between our arguments, when we… calmed down… there was another reason for that." Winry took a long pause, looking up and out the window. "Ed and I kissed….. and it…. It led… it led to us having sex in my bedroom."

Pinako's eyes widened. "Winry!"

Winry brought a hand to her eyes. "I'm sorry Granny… it just felt right… like it was our last night… but then we argued and Edward left. I told him to go."

"He just left you… upset? After he'd slept with you?" Pinako asked sharply. Winry nodded silently.

The two women sat in silent as Winry blinked back tears. Pinako gently put her arms around the crying girl and stroked her hair. For a while they didn't speak and Winry was grateful to that. She rested her head on her grandmother's shoulder and a few sniffles escaped her before she calmed down. She wiped her eyes again and eventually straightened up once she'd composed herself.

"Do you regret sleeping with Edward?" Pinako asked quietly.

Winry looked at her silently for a moment, lost in thought. "I… I don't think so. I'm not sorry about that. I'm just hating what happened after that."

"Then maybe last night wasn't a waste. If the worst happens, it was a nice way to say goodbye," said Pinako. "You need to look at the positives," she said smiling a little before pausing. "Speaking of positives… did you use protection?" she asked.

Winry's eyes widened. "Oh no….. no we didn't…"

"Oh Winry," Pinako scolded her. "You silly girl. You could be pregnant for all we know…" she said sharply which of course, set the "silly girl" off again with the tears.

It was extremely fortunate that Sara and Urey Rockbell had kept a store of medicines at home. Pinako was able to quickly find the jar of contraceptive injections that they had kept in store. There were less drastic measures of course but the injection was the most effective. She brought a syringe out of the jar and carried it into the living room where Winry was waiting, pale and teary again.

"Here, inject this into your stomach. You'll be fine," Pinako said calmly. "That is unless you want a little baby to complicate this mess you're in."

Winry shook her head and took the syringe. Her hands were shaking until she felt Pinako's hands close over them and steady them. Carefully Winry injected the contraceptives into her stomach and then tossed the syringe aside. Pinako made her way over to the kettle to make some tea.

Suddenly lights outside the window began to glow red and a loud crackle filled the air. Winry knew that sound well, it was alchemy. She barely had time to glance out the window at the red streaks across the sky before the choking sensation filled her throat. Winry grasped her throat trying to breathe but it felt like something was crushing her wind pipe. She tried to cry out but all she could make was a strangling noise. The energy began to pour out of her like blood from a wound. She stumbled to the floor and looked around for her grandmother.

Pinako was lying on the floor in a similar state. Her eyes met Winry's and she let out a choking sound too. Winry stretched out her hand to her grandmother before blackness began to take her. What was this? Did this have something to do with the Promised Day? As darkness completely enveloped her, Winry only had one thought.

_Edward_

The blackness began to subside and Winry slowly opened her eyes. The suffocating feeling was still in her throat but it was slowly disappearing. She released a few choky coughs before attempting to sit up. Her body still felt drained of energy and as she moved, a wave of dizziness hit her. She sat up slowly and fully before holding her head.

"Grandma…. What was that?" Winry asked.

"I have no idea…" said Pinako seriously. "Whatever it was, I'm sure it meant to kill us."

"But if we're alive, does that mean Ed…?" Winry asked.

"It means he's managed to save us," Pinako confirmed. "What's happening his end, is anyone's guess." She added as she sat up herself. "Oh my body feels like it's ready for bed and it's barely two pm," Pinako scoffed. "I think we'd best stay on the floor until we feel better," she said eyeing Winry, who crawled over to the couch and leant against it. That was all the energy she could muster

"That was quite something… powerful alchemy," mused Pinako. "I hope Edward's alright," she said.

"Don't," said Winry. "I… I can't talk about him like he's some sort of hero, even if he is, not with the way I feel about him," she said. "I'm sorry if that's selfish but I can't be a hypocrite."

Pinako began to shuffle over to her. "Winry… you're just mixed up… that feeling will go away. Edward does care about you, he just doesn't know how to show it."

"No… he doesn't… not really. He doesn't respect me, Granny. I've had to be at his beck and call, waiting for him, putting my own life on hold and I didn't mind at the time. But now…" Winry began. "I just want to go back to making my own life… back in Rush Valley, but I can't because he needs me." Winry added sadly. "It's taken me this long to really take it in. For selfish reasons I want him to get his body back."

Pinako smiled. "I too have selfish reasons for wanting him back. I miss having a full house."

Winry had a guilty expression on her face. "Granny…"

"Don't you feel sorry for me," smiled Pinako. "Once the Promised Day is over and Edward and Alphonse return, you can go and follow your own path. Follow it to Rush Valley or wherever you want. You can take this time out for yourself okay? Just hold on a little longer."

Winry smiled. "Thanks Granny… I know it must sound selfish-" she began.

"Nonsense, you've been there for those boys all your life. It's time to put yourself first" said Pinako.

"I have one last promise to fulfil to them first. I promised I'd be waiting for them with an apple pie when they come back with their bodies. Once that's done, I'll go to Rush Valley for a while and decide later what comes next." Winry resolved.

"Good girl. Us Rockbells know what we need to do," smiled Pinako. "All we can do now is wait…"

Edward picked up the phone in the hospital and held the receiver to his ear as he waited for someone to answer the phone. His body ached and he was so tired but he needed to let Pinako and Winry know that everything had worked out. More than worked out. He had his brother back, Father had been defeated and they'd got their bodies back to normal.

"Rockbell Automail, how can we help you?" It was Pinako.

"Hey Granny, it's me again. Are you guys alright? Did Winry turn up yet?" Edward asked.

"Hey Edward. Yes we're both fine, she turned up a few hours later, perfectly fine."

Edward frowned a bit. "Is she there now?"

"Yes she i-, wait Winry, where are you going? It's getting dark, wait, come back, oh fine, that girl, I don't know…" Pinako mumbled down the line.

"Is everything okay?" Edward asked, worried.

"Everything's fine, she's just going out again."

"Again? Where is she going?" Edward demanded.

"She didn't say but she'll be back later," said Pinako. "Anyway enough about that. How did it all go? I'm assuming well since you're alive."

"It all went to plan. This country's safe again." Edward informed her.

"And your bodies?" Pinako pressed.

"Restored… well except my left leg but I'm quite happy with that. It comes in useful" said Edward. "Al's body is quite thin so we're going to stay in Central until we feed him up and get him used to his body. I'll let you know when we're coming home," he told her.

"That's great news and don't worry, we'll have everything ready when you get here," said Pinako.

"Thanks Granny" said Ed before pausing. "Say hi to Winry for me, okay?" he asked.

"I will. Go look after your brother," said Pinako.

Edward hung up and headed back to Alphonse.

Winry stared at her parents' gravestones silently. She wasn't sure why she had come here specifically but she'd known that she had to get out of the house. She wanted no reason to talk to Edward yet especially as she was feeling so confused about everything. She sat down next to her mother's grave and curled her legs up, feeling so conflicted right now. What should she do? She looked forward to their return so things could move forward.

It wasn't until three am that she finally went home and got into bed, lost in worry filled dreams.


	3. Journey's End

**The Promised Future**

_Chapter Three_

Before the Elric brothers realised, two months had passed whilst they were in Central and what a long road it had been. The doctors at the hospital had kept Alphonse in for over three weeks, making sure he ate enough and put on enough weight to be able to leave. After that he'd been referred to a physical therapist so that he could learn to exercise his muscles and walk again.

It had been an excruciatingly slow process, especially for Al, who wanted to go home to Granny and Winry but Edward was still elated to have his brother back in his full form again and was quite happy to take their time. They'd gone through too much together to rush into anything now. That was what had gotten them into trouble in the first place.

When it came to Al's appearance, he decided to keep the long hair but unlike his brother, he was happy to wear it down for now. He was too happy to be leaving the hospital to care about what he looked like. Edward had laughed when Alphonse realised how much more time he would spend at the hospital learning to walk again. Luckily he was able to get used to it fairly quickly since it was only really his muscles that needed extra care. So Alphonse was really happy when the doctors told him that he was well enough to start making it on his own now with the assurance that Edward would keep an eye on him.

Meanwhile Edward had had to get used to two months without alchemy. He couldn't say he didn't miss it but it was weird not having it around, something that had been there for a good part of his life. He was glad that he had kept the automail leg. It was a reminder that it had all happened and that he would never be so stupid again.

It was midday when the brothers stopped to eat in a nearby café. Edward nearly had a heart attack when a hand slapped him on the back extremely hard and a woman's laugh echoed in his ear.

"Well well well, Edward, it's been a while!"

"Teacher?" Edward asked as he looked around at Izumi Curtis who was smiling broadly. That smile dropped when she heard what he called her. The next thing Ed knew, he was being rapped around the head just as hard.

"I'm not your teacher anymore! Call me Izumi!" His former teacher insisted with a growl.

"Doesn't matter, you were still our teacher…" Edward said sheepishly and was relieved to see a tiny smile on Izumi's face. "So we'll still call you Teacher, even if you beat us black and blue" he joked.

Izumi's face twitched a little but she smiled and gestured to the spare too seats. "May we join you?"

Edward looked around at Sig briefly before nodding. "Sure," he said and watched the pair sit down. "What are you guys doing in Central?"

"We're just doing a bit of travelling again," smiled Izumi. "Central's quite nice when it's not falling apart," she joked. "Anyway how are you boys doing?"

Edward and Alphonse exchanged smiles. "Al's been allowed to go home now. We finished his physical therapy today."

Izumi smiled even wider. "That's fantastic, it's good to see you back on your feet," she told Al who reddened a little.

"Thanks Teacher…"

"What about you, Ed? Adjusting to life without alchemy?" Izumi asked curiously after she examined the menu.

"Just about," smiled Edward.

"Does that mean you couldn't learn it again if you wanted to start from scratch?" Izumi asked concerned.

Edward looked thoughtful. "I don't know. I can only remember really basics of it so presumably my knowledge has been taken."

"In which case you might be able to relearn and perform it again" said Izumi. "If you were to choose to that is. I'm sure if it was meant to be permanent, you would have been allowed to keep your knowledge but knowing that alchemy would never work for you."

Edward nodded. "Yeah that makes sense. To be honest I'm glad I made the deal for Al's body back but I do miss alchemy a lot too. It wouldn't have been a fair deal if I'd given up something I could easily toss aside."

Al smiled at Edward. "You could re-learn it again, brother, and maybe we could learn alkahestry and mingle the two like Scar's brother did?"

Edward laughed. "That sounds like a plan. We could use alchemy for what it's meant to be used for; to help people and fix this country."

"Are you sure alchemy should be used to fix this country after it nearly destroyed it?" Sig asked.

"Alchemy is based of three steps," said Izumi. "Two of which are destruction and reconstruction. Alchemy destroyed this country, it can fix it too." She turned back to the brothers. "I'm amazed how quickly you boys take one burden after another but surely you have people waiting for you back home? People who want to see your bodies restored?"

Edward and Alphonse froze in horror.

"Damn…" said Edward.

"We forgot Granny and Winry!" exclaimed Alphonse.

Ed rubbed the back of his neck. "We should probably head to the station after our meal. We'll need all the sustenance we can get for facing Winry," he said quietly.

"It's been two months, where the hell are they?" Winry cursed, full of worry. Despite the animosity between her and Edward at the moment, she was still allowed to be worried about him. The lack of contact from them following the phone call was alarming and it had taken all her willpower to not march to Central and find out for herself. She and Granny had been sitting it out in Resembool, waiting for answers that had never come and fearing the worst had happened.

Sure there were plenty of things to occupy them. Winry had met all of her customer's needs and even helped her grandmother with her work. But that still left room for a gnawing fear to grow in her heart. What if Edward and Alphonse were dead? She never allowed that thought to fester for long but each time it came up, Winry felt more and more alarmed. The longer time passed, the worse the fears grew. Pinako had insisted that the Military would have told them if the brothers had died but Winry wasn't so sure.

"I've had enough, I'm contacting the Military," said Winry, picking up the phone. She dialled the number and waited patiently until someone picked up. "Hello, this is Winry Rockbell, calling for the Elric brothers. Are they around?" she asked.

"I'm sorry Ma'am but the Elrics haven't returned to Central Command since the battle. However if you hold on just a second I can ask around." The officer told her.

Winry repressed a growl. "Please do, I'll wait, thank you," she said and turned to face Pinako whilst she waited. "Well they're not at Central Command," she told her grandmother. "I'm going to throttle them," she muttered. A few minutes passed before Winry heard footsteps down the line and felt the phone being picked up again. "Hello?" she asked.

"Hi there, Miss Rockbell. According to our intel the Elric brothers have been living in the city for the last few months. They've been using hotels so we can't be sure where they are now. I apologise we can't give you an exact location." The officer explained.

Winry sighed. "It's alright. Thanks for your help." She hung up the phone and sat on the couch. "They're still in Central."

Pinako frowned. "Aren't they coming home?"

"I have no idea" said Winry.

"They might have their reasons," said Pinako. "So we'll have to sit tight," she said tersely.


	4. Struggle for Normalcy

**The Promised Future**

_Chapter Four_

A week later Edward and Alphonse finally arrived on their front porch, at long last home after their adventures. The brothers exchanged a nervous smile as Alphonse raised his hand and knocked on the door. The sound of Den barking made the brothers relax a little. It was a minute or two before the door opened and they found themselves facing Pinako Rockbell. Pipe in hand and a stern look on her face, Pinako regarded them carefully before her face relaxed into a smile. The pair of them walked into the house and looked around. Very little had changed and they were glad to see it.

"Welcome home, boys." Pinako said as she closed the door. "Alphonse, let me have a look at you," she said and began to circle the younger boy. "You look so much like Edward… except your eyes. You definitely have Tricia's eyes. It's been so long since we've seen them." Pinako then turned to Edward. "Let me have a look at your arm," she said. When Edward rolled up his sleeve, she smiled. "Remarkable." She looked up at the boys. "Well since you didn't give us any warning you were coming, we didn't have that pie ready for you. Winry!" Pinako said turning around. "They're back!"

Edward looked up immediately searching for Winry's face. His hands clenched a little as he wondered what kind of reception he'd get from her. It felt like so long since he'd seen her. He'd certainly not forgotten the circumstances of their last meeting and had a feeling their reunion would be difficult at best. He waited patiently next to Al.

Winry came downstairs slowly, staring at the two boys. "You're back…" she said quietly. Edward stared at her. She was beautiful. She'd clearly just gotten up, her hair was unbrushed and hanging about her face wildly. She wore a long nightdress and her eyes were half closed from sleep.

"Hi Winry," smiled Alphonse. Winry's face lit up and she raced downstairs and dragged Al into a tight hug. Al's eyes were wide with shock at the sudden rush but he laughed and patted her back. "I missed you too," he said gently. "It's good to see you."

Winry smiled and pulled back. "You look good… how are you feeling?" she asked.

"I'm good, it feels so much better being able to eat and sleep again," chuckled Al.

"I bet it does," said Winry and then turned to Edward quickly. "I suppose we have you to thank for all this," Winry said quietly but with a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Thank you for coming home safely."

Edward looked a bit taken aback. "Oh, no problem," he said. "It was a team effort and it wasn't easy like I said but it was worth it in the end. Were you two okay during the Promised Day?"

"Well we blacked out a little bit during the eclipse," said Pinako. "Then we were okay again. It was weird. So I expect you to tell us everything over dinner."

Edward laughed a little. "Okay, okay, we'll tell you everything," he said.

Winry smiled at Al. "I'll get started on that pie. You guys go and unpack" she said before heading into the kitchen.

Once the pair of them had unpacked, Edward left Al chatting to Pinako in the garden before coming inside to find Winry. She was stood over the stove, adding the finishing touches to the pie before putting it in the oven. She turned the oven dial up and began to clear up the mess around the kitchen counters. Edward stood in the doorway watching her for a few moments.

"Granny said you went missing on the Promised Day… you went out twice… everything okay?" he asked awkwardly looking out of the window and then back at Winry. He noticed her tense and worry shot through him. Had something happened?

"I was just out. That's all." Winry said shortly.

"Oh…. Well that's good." Edward muttered. He rubbed the back of his neck, staring down at the floor. "I was… thinking we should talk."

"We are talking."

"You know what I mean!" Edward said looking back up at Winry. "About… the last time I was here."

"No," Winry said shortly. "We don't need to talk about that."

"Why not?" Edward asked. "We didn't exactly leave things on a good note and I'd rather not have an atmosphere around here. It's supposed to be a happy occasion."

Winry tensed up, clenching her fists in anger. How dare he… how dare he…? She looked over her shoulder at him with deadly eyes. She turned around slowly, glaring at him.

Edward stood his ground but looked a little less confident under her withering stare. "Right, well let's get down to it."

"We're not going to have this conversation Edward. I have to concentrate on making this pie perfect for our meal. This isn't the time. You know what, frankly, I don't want to talk about it. I'm not in the mood." Winry spat angrily. "So just drop it, Ed, just go hang out with Al and Granny and get out from under my feet okay?"

Edward glared right back at her. "You know you're really childish, you know that? Why don't you try acting like an adult?"

"Oh that's rich coming from you!" scoffed Winry. "You're the most petulant person I know."

"Shut up, you're the one always pandering after us! You're no better!" Edward bit back.

"If you want a fight Edward, you're not getting one from me, now get out of the kitchen!" Winry yelled, pushing Edward backwards and shutting the door.

Pinako entered the living room with Alphonse and the pair chuckled. "All is right with the world, you two are fighting again," Alphonse laughed.

"Winry!" Edward yelled through the door.

"Shut up and leave me alone!" Winry called back. "I have a pie to make."

Edward sank onto the couch next to Al. "She wants me to leave alone but she wouldn't leave us alone when we came. She goddamn pestered us…"

"Winry and I hardly got to see you two, of course she wanted to make the most of it." Pinako pointed out. "Now I don't want any more fighting before dinner. Or I'll beat the two of you with my cane," she added smirking.

The apple pie was as good as Alphonse had imagined. He sat there happily shovelling spoonfuls into his mouth whilst Edward told Granny and Winry all about their battles against Father and Pride. As he sipped some milk along with his apple pie, Al watched their faces. Granny seemed mildly interested but Winry seemed a little vacant, listening but at the same time, not really there.

Listening to the tale made Al realise just how crazy all this must sound to outsiders, people who weren't involved. He didn't like to think about Granny and Winry in that way but really they'd played a very small part and had been out of the way safe and sound. Al only wished that Winry had been able to be spared the adventures. It had been cruel of Bradley to drag her into this knowing that they were fond of her. But even Al had to admit that she'd risen to the occasion.

"So anyway Al and I needed to stay in Central. Al's body was so fun, we had to build him up and help him learn how to walk and balance in his old body again. As you can see he grew quite a bit." Edward finished. "That's why we were so late."

Winry shot a look at Alphonse. "But you're okay now right?"

Al smiled at her. "I'm fine. It'll take a while to fill my appetite until I start getting used to being full again but I'm okay."

Pinako nodded. "Well I'll help to fill you up since Winry won't be here much longer." Edward and Al dropped their spoons in surprise at that announcement.

"What?" Edward asked and looked at Winry. "Where the heck are you going?"

"What's the matter? Am I not allowed or something?" Winry snapped at him.

"That's not what I meant, answer the damn question!" Edward yelled.

"Winry's returning to Rush Valley. She's got a good job there and a chance to meet new people." Pinako explained.

Edward opened his mouth to object but shut it again after realising something. He had no real reason to object to Winry's decision. He couldn't force her to stay. She did seem to enjoy living in Rush Valley and she loved automail.

"I fulfilled my promise to you guys," Winry explained quietly. "I wanted to wait and see you come home restored to your bodies. I promised you I'd wait and I did. Now it's time for me to return to Rush Valley. I still have an apprenticeship and customers to serve." She looked up at Al. "I'm sorry."

Alphonse looked at her surprised. "What for?"

"I don't want you to think I'm selfish," said Winry. "You've only just got back and all. But…" she paused. "I love being at home with you but I need to carry on my path in automail engineering too."

"If you think you're being selfish, you probably are. It's pretty bad timing don't you think?" Edward snapped and his eyes widened as he wished he hadn't said that. "Winry…"

Winry stood up. "I don't care what _you_ think, Edward," she said bluntly. She headed straight for the door and out into the night leaving the brothers stunned. Pinako looked at Edward in annoyance.

"Do you ever keep that mouth shut?"

The night air was cool as Winry reached the graveyard. It was the only place she could think of to find peace and collect her thoughts. She relished the cold wind against her face and made her way towards the gravestones of Sara and Urey Rockbell. Kneeling before them, she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around herself. She stayed there silently for a little while until she heard the sound of footsteps rustling through the grass. She spun around and saw Edward standing there.

"What do you want?" she asked.

Edward looked over to where his own parents' graves were. "I thought I'd come and see where you were. It's late at night, you need to be careful," he said, his voice tinged with concern and mostly filled with awkwardness. He moved over to his mother's grave. "I may as well pay my respects. That's something we both have in common. Both our parents are in the ground."

Winry looked back at her own parents' graves. "Yeah," she admitted.

Edward glanced at his father's grave and then stood up again, heading over to Winry. He stood over her quietly for a few minutes before voicing the question he'd wondered over for some time since her announcement. "Winry… why is it you're so keen to leave? I thought you liked living with Granny," he said rubbing the back of his neck again.

Winry stared at the engravings on her parents' tombs. "I've spent the last few years trying to be as supportive and helpful to you as I can. I've stayed at home with Granny and I've loved that. I waited for you guys and prayed for the day you'd get your bodies back so I could welcome you back home."

"I really wouldn't call what you said to me a welcome." Edward muttered.

"Well you don't deserve one." Winry said coolly. "I'm done living my life by what you do. When I went to Rush Valley, I got a new lease of life and now that the Promised Day is behind us, I want to return to that. As for your automail, I'm sure Granny will fix you up." She told him as she stood up.

"You seem to have made this decision pretty quickly," said Edward. "You never planned to stick around long did you? What about Al? He was excited to see you."

Winry glared at him. "Don't you dare emotionally blackmail me," she whispered. "I would do anything for Al, just as you would. If he asked me to stay a few extra days, I would. But that doesn't mean that I won't be going at all. Either way, Rush Valley is where I'm meant to be," she said.

She brought a hand to her head. "You wanted to talk about what happened that night. I think too much has been damaged," she said. "I don't think talking will do any good."

She sighed and looked down the hills towards her home. "Is Granny worried?"

"She's getting used to your disappearing acts," Edward snapped.

Winry rounded on him. "You have no right to judge me, Edward. Just because you think my place is here doesn't mean I have to stay. I can go where I like. If I need a breather then I go out. It's my business, not yours."

Edward stared at her in shock and watched as she slowly started walking back to the house. Taking care to stay a distance away from her, he headed home too.

"There you both are!" Al greeted them with a smile. "Is everything okay?"

Winry smiled a little at Al. "We're fine… though I need to ask you something, Al," she said.

Al looked up at her quizzically. "What is it, Winry?"

Winry sat down opposite Al and looked down at her hands. "Be honest, would you prefer it if I spent a couple of extra days here with you… guys," she added hastily. "I don't mind either way. I just don't want you to feel like I'm abandoning you."

Alphonse looked at her with a surprised look before looking down at his own hands. "I… I don't mind either but… it would be nice to hang out a little bit before you go back." He looked up at her with a smile. "If that's okay with you?"

Winry laughed a little. "That's fine. I can get the Sunday train and be back in time for the Monday rush," she said smiling warmly at Alphonse.

Al looked pleased. "That's great. We should make the most of the next few days."

"Yeah," said Edward. "We should."


End file.
